Press releases

Belarus Events Calendar: JULY 2020

Dear friends! We are sorry to inform you that we have to change the monthly Events Calendar on the belarus.by website. The coronavirus pandemic has led to border shutdowns, travel restrictions, cancellation or postponement of public events. People are willing to refrain from trips and entertainments to protect themselves and their families.

Belarus is taking all the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the infection. The country has neither shut down its borders nor imposed strict travel restrictions. However, Belarus calls on EVERY PERSON to be extremely careful, follow the WHO and doctors’ recommendations, observe personal hygiene rules, and, most importantly, take care of each other. If you have returned from the worst-hit regions and countries, you should seek medical attention in case of the slightest deterioration in your health and, of course, isolate yourselves as soon as possible, in order not to spread any infection, not only COVID-19.

In view of this situation, large public events are canceled or postponed. Please, check out the information in advance. Organizers promise that tickets for all postponed events will remain valid. Please, remember to stay healthy!

Minsk tops CIS list of cities for virtual tours

Belarusian Football Championship 2020

In March 2020 the 30th edition of the Belarusian Premier League became the only one in Europe and one of the few on the planet to kick off as usual amid the spread of the novel coronavirus. Matchday one drew a lot of attention from fans across many countries. Matches were broadcast live by a number of sport TV channels and also online. The decision not to cancel the tournament was taken by the Belarusian Football Federation after consultations with the UEFA. The Belarusian Premier League features 16 teams. The tournament is held in two rounds. Teams that place 15th and 16th are relegated to the Belarusian First League. Two top teams are promoted from the First to the Premier League.
Among the favorites for the Belarusian champion title are leaders of the previous season: Dinamo Brest, BATE, Shakhtyor, Dinamo Minsk, Isloch, and Torpedo BelAZ.

Where: stadiums in 12 Belarusian cities
When: 19 March – December 2020
16 tour: 3-5 July
17 tour: 10-12 July
18 tour: 17-19 July
19 tour: 24-26 July

Rarities of the National History Museum  project in Minsk

The National History Museum invites Minsk residents and tourists to visit an outdoor exhibition to see the rarities from its holdings. An unusual exhibition about the Belarusian nation and its historical heritage will be arranged on the fence of Chelyuskintsev Park (Independence Avenue) in early June. Seventy photo-banners will show the rarities from different eras: coins, weapons, national costumes, religious objects, works of fine art, arts and crafts, books, precious metals, awards, musical instruments and many more. This exposition features items presented by the five branches of the National History Museum – the Memorial House of the First Congress of the RSDLP, the Museum of Belarusian Cinema History, the Museum of Theater and Music Culture History, the Museum of Nature and Environment, and the Museum of Contemporary Belarusian Statehood.

When: 2 June 2020 – 1 June 2021
Where: Fence of Chelyuskintsev Park, Independence Avenue, Minsk
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Stop COVID-19 online race

The Brest Half Marathon that was due on 5 July was postponed to autumn because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the organizers urged everyone not to give up on sports and to take part in the online race Stop COVID-19. To join the initiative, one needs to register at брестполумарафон.бел. It is possible to run any distance from 1km to 21km. Then it is necessary to send a screenshot or a photo of the tracked route.

When: 9 May – 1 September

The Artist and the City: #100UNOVIS

The exhibition “The Artist and the City”, the ninth edition of the project, has opened online for the first time. Those wishing to see the exhibition are invited to visit the website and make a virtual tour of Yakub Kolas Square. The theme of the 2020 exhibition is the 100th anniversary of the famous association UNOVIS. All artists featured at the exhibition follow the ideas and principles of Kazimir Malevich’s suprematism. The exhibition displays 32 works, some of which were created by members of the artists’ association Kvadrat that can be called a true successor of UNOVIS. The exhibition will feature Aleksandr Malei, Nikolai Dundin, Viktor Shilko, Aleksandr Dosuzhev, Aleksandr Slepov, and Valery Chukin. A physical version of the project will open once the epidemiological situation improves. Plans are in place to bring the exhibition from Minsk to Vitebsk, the birthplace of UNOVIS.

When: 14 May – 7 November
Where: Online

A virtual exhibition of Belarusian manufacturers Made in Belarus

The exhibition of Belarusian producers Made in Belarus has debuted in an online format. It features more than 30 organizations and enterprises working in agriculture and food industry from different parts of the country. Agro Pavilion is showcasing agricultural equipment and agricultural technologies. Food Pavilion is presenting new products from food and beverage manufacturers. Visitors can get familiar with the information about product samples, videos and business offers and talk to a manager of any participating enterprise in a text chat. One of the main events of the 2020 exhibition is the International Agricultural Online Forum brining together experts from different countries.

When: 16 June – 19 July
Where: YouTube channel of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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Garden of Fine Fragrances in NASB Botanical Garden

The peonies season has started in the Central Botanical Garden, which boasts the collection of around 320 varieties of these beautiful plants from Russia, Ukraine, France, America. The Garden of Fine Fragrances exhibition presents the pictures of peonies painted in the Japanese sumi-e technique. The garden also offers a family interactive walk “The Magic of Peonies”. Participants get a special map of the garden which indicates the places of flowering peonies and the information about plants and art objects of the Botanical Garden and unusual tasks for the whole family.

When: 16 June – 12 July
Where: Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB)
2в Surganova Street, Minsk
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International Advertising and Marketing Festival White Square

The International Festival of Marketing and Advertising White Square is one of the largest creative festivals of the communications industry in Eastern Europe and the main marketing and advertising event in Belarus. Every year it draws representatives from dozens of European and CIS countries, more than a thousand competitors, hundreds of delegates, including the largest international and local advertisers, representatives of the European professional creative community. This year, due to the current epidemiological situation, business and educational programs will be held online. 

When: 7-9 July
Where: website of the forum

3 July, Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, National Day 

The Republic of Belarus celebrates its National Day on 3 July with large-scale events in all the regions. The major of them will take place in the country’s capital. This is a symbolic day for Minsk, because it was the day when the the city was liberated from the Nazi invaders in the summer of 1944. This year’s celebrations will be held taking into account the epidemiological situation and experts' recommendations. Traditionally, the celebrations will wrap up with Let’s Sing the Anthem Together! campaign and a spectacular fireworks display.

Bagration Festival on Stalin Line

The Independence Day celebrations will continue at the historical and cultural complex Stalin Line. Visitors will see a reenactment of the events of the Great Patriotic War and feel the atmosphere of the battles on 28 June 1944 during the large-scale offensive operation Bagration. The Soviet troops were able to liberate the territory of Belarus and inflict the biggest defeat on the enemy troops, almost completely destroying the Army Group Center. Reenactment clubs of Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland have applied for participation.

When: 11.00, 3-4 July
Where: The historical and cultural complex Stalin Line, the village of Loshany, Minsk District

Kupala Night Festival (Alexandria Gathers Friends)

Over ten years of its history the summer event Kupala Night Festival on the bank of the Dnieper River in Alexandria has already become a good tradition and a brand of Mogilev Oblast. This year’s festival will be the first one to take place under the UNESCO aegis. Alexandria’s Marketplace will take place outdoors first. Regions of Belarus are expected to present their historical and cultural values, traditional crafts, cuisine, and costumes (it will be the first festival to feature a folk costume contest!) Visitors will be able to see an exhibition of products of the Minsk-based tractor factory MTZ, a fair offering all kinds of bakery and a kvass feast. Finalists of the nationwide family agriculture contest Lord of the Village will come to Alexandria as well. Visitors will be able to go through the Corridor of Ages and see the life in the 19th century, 20th century, and 21st century. They will also be able to participate in interactive sessions and workshops, which, for instance, will teach them how to saw firewood, make wickerwork products, and sew garments. The Book Celebration will focus on the national literature legacy. A program dedicated to Belarusian Written Language Day will be presented. This year’s Belarusian Written Language Day is scheduled to take place in Belynichi on 6 September. The gala concert My Alexandria will begin in the central stage at 21:30. Colorful fireworks will be organized after the concert. The celebration will continue with a disco party for young people. Kupala Night Festival’s entertainment program also features quizzes, lotteries, amusements, and photo shoot areas…

When: 11-12 July
Where: The agrotown of Alexandria, Shklov District, Mogilev Oblast
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International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk

This year, the 29th edition of the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk will leave indoor venues and will attempt to become one of the largest open-air festivals in Belarus and in the whole of Europe. The organizers have announced that events of the festival will take to the streets, and the main concerts will be held at the largest outdoor venues. However, the slogan of the festival, that has brought together 75 countries across five continents, remains unchanged: “Through Art to Peace and Understanding”. Thousands of tickets have already been sold (holders of the Slavianski bazaar tickets will be granted a visa-free entry to Belarus this year again). The song contest will bring together the best vocalists from 18 countries. And this year, for the first time in the history of the festival, the Slavic Hit Song competition will make up the main part of the program of the closing concert.

When: 16-20 July
Where: Vitebsk
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Program of the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk 2020

16 July
Opening ceremony (20:30)

17 July
Union State invites… “Live film music” (performed by the Phonograph-Sympho-Jazz orchestra under the baton of Sergei Zhilin) (22:00)

18 July
* Gala concert “Golden Hit” (01:30)
* 18th International Children's Song Contest Vitebsk 2020 (two rounds – 14:00, 18:00)
* 29th International Song Contest Vitebsk 2020 (18:00)

* Gala concert “Chanson TV – All Stars” (22:00)

19 July
* 18th International Children's Song Contest Vitebsk 2020: Gala concert (14:00)
* Closing ceremony (21:00)

20 July
Concert “Timeless Rock” (01:30)

Arsiani song and dance ensemble from Adjara in Belarus

One of the most famous Georgian ensembles Arsiani celebrates its centennial anniversary. It invites spectators to feel the rhythms of folk songs and dances. The ensemble has earned recognition in many countries: Spain, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Egypt, Cyprus, Russia, Belarus, Estonia, and Ukraine. It consists of only professional dancers, singers, and musicians. The anniversary program includes the best performances from the whole history of Arsiani, Caucasian folk dances, and, of course, enchanting Georgian music.

When and where:

19 July – Mogilev concert hall, 10 Pervomaiskaya Street, Mogilev
22 July – Palace of Culture, 4 Tsentralnaya Street, Molodechno
23 July – Grodno Oblast Philharmonic, 17 Gornovykh Street, Grodno
24 July – Central House of Officers, 3 Krasnoarmeiskaya Street, Minsk
25 July – Mozyr Oil Refinery palace of culture, 1-a Yunosti Boulevard, Mozyr

Cherry festival in Glubokoye

The city of Glubokoye is often dubbed ‘the cherry capital of Belarus’. This year it will throw the cherry festival for the eighth time. The celebration, that has already become a calling card of the city, will kick off with a costume procession featuring the Cherry Queen. Visitors will be invited to explore “The Mystery of the Cherry Blossom”, attend an open-air concert, and visit the folk party “In the cherry garden”. 25 July will feature the procession “At the Cherry’s”, the exhibition and presentation “Cherry Charm”, the “Cherry Wedding”, and the “Cherry Tunes” concert from accordionists and bayanists.

When: 25 July
Where: Glubokoye, Vitebsk Oblast